This invention relates to industrial-type electrical cable connectors and, in particular, to those connectors having three basic elements: (1) a rigid insulating part which carries the electrical terminals; (2) a flexible fluidtight casing which encircles the cable and isolates the electrical terminals from foreign matter; and (3) a clamping part to secure the cable and which is in turn secured to the part carrying the terminals.
A problem with connectors of the above type centers around the flexible casing. A flexible casing is fairly elastic, which elasticity provides a high quality seal. The elasticity also results in an easily deformed casing. This deformation especially occurs upon assembly. When the rigid terminal carrying part is positioned in the chamber defined by the elastic casing and secured with screws to the clamping part, the end wall of the casing, which is intermediate the terminal insert part and clamping part, is subjected to axial compressive forces which cause radial expansion of the external cylindrical surface of the casing. This bulging, or radial expansion, is undesirable, as it prohibits the placing of two connectors side by side in the standard dual receptacle, due to interference. A previous attempt to solve this problem included the use of fasteners to secure the clamp part and terminal part together and which slip at a point prior to the bulging of the rubber casing. This requires a special fastener construction and is costly.